OSHA will extend its temporary enforcement measures in residential construction for 3 months. The temporary rules, now in place through March 15, include priority, free on-site compliance assistance; penalty reductions; extended abatement dates; and increased outreach. Fatalities from falls are the number one cause of workplace deaths in construction.

For a Limited Time receive a FREE Safety Special Report on the "50 Tips For More-Effective Safety Training." Receive 75 pages of useful safety information broken down into three training sections. Download Now

The agency has been working closely with the industry to help employers comply with the new directive. During the last fiscal year, OSHA’s on-site consultation service performed more than 3,000 site visits, conducted about 1,100 training sessions, and delivered some 500 presentations about fall protection in residential construction.
OSHA will continue to develop materials to assist the industry, including education and training resources available on the agency website www.OSHA.gov. Search for “residential construction” and “fall prevention campaign.”

Meanwhile OSHA has issued a request for information to initiate the fourth phase of its Standards Improvement. The aim is to improve and streamline existing OSHA construction standards by removing or revising requirements that are confusing or duplicative.